Morley care home to close as Leeds City Council approves budget

Knowle Manor Care Home in Morley

Leeds City Council has decided to close a care home which it said was no longer adequate for care provision.

Knowle Manor in Morley will close as part of the council's plan to save more than £65m in 2024/25.

A second home, Dolphin Manor in Rothwell, is to be repurposed as a recovery hub to free up hospital beds.

Council leader James Lewis said the authority would work with residents, families and social workers to find alternative accommodation.

Mr Lewis told the BBC he understood this would be a "difficult time" for people affected at both homes.

It is understood Knowle Manor has just under 30 residents, while Dolphin Manor can care for up to 35.

Mr Lewis said the council would do "detailed work with social workers around how people living in those homes will be found somewhere else to live".

He added: "Whether it's in the local area or nearer to where family is based we will work with people to find other care home places."

The news came as councillors approved a budget meaning council tax in Leeds will rise by 4.98%.

In January, the government said England's local authorities would receive a £600m funding boost following recent warnings of bankruptcies.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove said they would share £500m to help fund children's and adult social care.

Mr Lewis confirmed Leeds' share of that money was £6.9m and it would be spent on front-line services in children's social care.

'Taken no responsibility'

Councillor Allan Lamb, leader of the Conservative group, said the council could have made better choices when setting its budget.

Mr Lamb said he had "lost a lot of sympathy today because there is a big financial challenge, but they have taken no responsibility for the decisions they have taken".

He cited the 2023 Year of Culture as money that could have been spent differently, saying: "They haven't owned up to the fact the £10m they spent on a city of culture last year that no-one knew was happening could have been spent on vital services that people depend on."